ARMENIAN BAR ASSOCIATION STATEMENT ON THE 26TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC

ARMENIAN BAR ASSOCIATION STATEMENT ON THE 26TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC

ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆԻ ՀԱՆՐԱՊԵՏՈՒԹՅԱՆ 26-ՐԴ ՏԱՐԵԴԱՐՁԻՆ ՆՎԻՐՎԱԾ ՀԱՅՏԱՐԱՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ

— September 21, 2017

The sovereignty of a democratic republic is not measured by its age.

True sovereignty is measured by the fidelity of institutions to the rule of law. It is measured by the noble restraint of leaders who refuse to leverage such institutions to silence political dissent. It is measured by a foundation built on socio-economic models favoring merit, opportunity and upward mobility and not cronyism and nepotism. It is measured by an enlightened leadership’s trust in civil society, not the subjugation of that civil society for the benefit of that the leadership. You see, sovereignty is a much more noble and deliberate endeavor than is mere survival.

We congratulate the Republic on the 26th anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union. We remember well the promise of that day.

More importantly, we wish the Armenian people the continued strength to insist on a homeland free of political prisoners, to demand always a government of laws and not of men and to never fear to teach our children to reach beyond mere survival to touch the dignity of true sovereignty.